Honda Car Forum

2003 Accord 4-door sedan, I4, AT

I changed my air filter at 26,400 miles (last Tuesday). Didn't notice if
the "Maint Reqd" light came on that day, but starting the next day the
MR light blinks 10 times whenever I start the car. Nothing in the Owners
Manual explains why it's coming on at 26,000 miles. Is it possible to
cause this when changing the air filter?

FYI, changed the cabin pollen/dust filter a couple of weeks ago - I was
amazed at how crummy it was! Will change it annually from now on.

"Sparky Spartacus" <Sparky@universalexports.org> wrote in message
news:O6pte.28746$So7.21358@fe10.lga...
> 2003 Accord 4-door sedan, I4, AT
>
> I changed my air filter at 26,400 miles (last Tuesday). Didn't notice if
> the "Maint Reqd" light came on that day, but starting the next day the MR
> light blinks 10 times whenever I start the car. Nothing in the Owners
> Manual explains why it's coming on at 26,000 miles. Is it possible to
> cause this when changing the air filter?

How long has it been since your last oil change/reset? Probably a
coincidence that it went on the same time as an air filter change.

Seth wrote:

> "Sparky Spartacus" <Sparky@universalexports.org> wrote in message
> news:O6pte.28746$So7.21358@fe10.lga...
>
>> 2003 Accord 4-door sedan, I4, AT
>>
>> I changed my air filter at 26,400 miles (last Tuesday). Didn't notice
>> if the "Maint Reqd" light came on that day, but starting the next day
>> the MR light blinks 10 times whenever I start the car. Nothing in the
>> Owners Manual explains why it's coming on at 26,000 miles. Is it
>> possible to cause this when changing the air filter?
>
> How long has it been since your last oil change/reset?

+6,000 miles (20,000)

The MR light went thru its normal drill at the 8,000 - 10,000 & 18,000
-20,000 mile marks; but the Owners Manual says nothing about the 26,000
mile mark, which is what made me curious. To be on the safe side I redid
the air filter to be sure it was seated correctly and that the 4 screws
were snug (they were *extremely* snug when I undid them the first time).

> Probably a coincidence that it went on the same time as an air filter change.

I hope so, but thought I'd ask around. Thanks for the feedback.

In article <g2vte.2002$Q05.467@fe08.lga>,
Sparky Spartacus <Sparky@universalexports.org> wrote:

> The MR light went thru its normal drill at the 8,000 - 10,000 & 18,000
> -20,000 mile marks; but the Owners Manual says nothing about the 26,000
> mile mark, which is what made me curious. To be on the safe side I redid
> the air filter to be sure it was seated correctly and that the 4 screws
> were snug (they were *extremely* snug when I undid them the first time).

The MR light is mileage based. There are no sensors in or around your
air filter box for something like this.

Whew, based on the subject, I thought you were going to write "how do I
turn off the MR light?", which would have gotten you many unpleasant
responses. Luckily, you didn't. =)

Sparky Spartacus wrote:
> I changed my air filter at 26,400 miles (last Tuesday). Didn't notice if
> the "Maint Reqd" light came on that day, but starting the next day the
> MR light blinks 10 times whenever I start the car. Nothing in the Owners
> Manual explains why it's coming on at 26,000 miles. Is it possible to
> cause this when changing the air filter?

No. The MRL is based on mileage relative to the last time it was reset.
(As far as I have seen, there are no "absolute" miles that it will turn
on.) In my 2001 Civic, it starts blinking about 8000 miles since last
reset, then constant at about 10,000 miles. But remember, it is
relative mileage, so if you reset it at 18,000 last time, it makes
sense that it is starting to blink at 26,000.

Bucky wrote:

> Whew, based on the subject, I thought you were going to write "how do I
> turn off the MR light?", which would have gotten you many unpleasant
> responses. Luckily, you didn't. =)

'Course not, already know how to do that, besides it's just at the
blinking stage. If it were on steadily I know how to reset it.

> Sparky Spartacus wrote:
>
>>I changed my air filter at 26,400 miles (last Tuesday). Didn't notice if
>>the "Maint Reqd" light came on that day, but starting the next day the
>>MR light blinks 10 times whenever I start the car. Nothing in the Owners
>>Manual explains why it's coming on at 26,000 miles. Is it possible to
>>cause this when changing the air filter?
>
>
> No. The MRL is based on mileage relative to the last time it was reset.
> (As far as I have seen, there are no "absolute" miles that it will turn
> on.) In my 2001 Civic, it starts blinking about 8000 miles since last
> reset, then constant at about 10,000 miles. But remember, it is
> relative mileage, so if you reset it at 18,000 last time, it makes
> sense that it is starting to blink at 26,000.

That sounds about right, thanks to all who responded.

On 6/19/05 8:38 PM, in article O6pte.28746$So7.21358@fe10.lga, "Sparky
Spartacus" <Sparky@universalexports.org> wrote:

> 2003 Accord 4-door sedan, I4, AT
>
> I changed my air filter at 26,400 miles (last Tuesday). Didn't notice if
> the "Maint Reqd" light came on that day, but starting the next day the
> MR light blinks 10 times whenever I start the car. Nothing in the Owners
> Manual explains why it's coming on at 26,000 miles. Is it possible to
> cause this when changing the air filter?
>
> FYI, changed the cabin pollen/dust filter a couple of weeks ago - I was
> amazed at how crummy it was! Will change it annually from now on.

The Maint Reqd light on a Honda is not connected to any sensors. It simply
starts flashing at a predefined number of miles since the last time it was
reset (an extra step you are expected to perform whenever you change the
oil.)

Just reset it.

E Meyer wrote:

> On 6/19/05 8:38 PM, in article O6pte.28746$So7.21358@fe10.lga, "Sparky
> Spartacus" <Sparky@universalexports.org> wrote:
>
>
>>2003 Accord 4-door sedan, I4, AT
>>
>>I changed my air filter at 26,400 miles (last Tuesday). Didn't notice if
>>the "Maint Reqd" light came on that day, but starting the next day the
>>MR light blinks 10 times whenever I start the car. Nothing in the Owners
>>Manual explains why it's coming on at 26,000 miles. Is it possible to
>>cause this when changing the air filter?
>>
>>FYI, changed the cabin pollen/dust filter a couple of weeks ago - I was
>>amazed at how crummy it was! Will change it annually from now on.
>
>
> The Maint Reqd light on a Honda is not connected to any sensors. It simply
> starts flashing at a predefined number of miles since the last time it was
> reset (an extra step you are expected to perform whenever you change the
> oil.)
>
> Just reset it.

Thanks, I will when it's come on steadily.

Sparky Spartacus wrote:
> > Just reset it.
> Thanks, I will when it's come on steadily.

Personally, my strategy is to reset it when the maintenance is
*supposed* to be done, not when I actually do the maintenance.

Let's say I was supposed to do maintenance at 20,000, but I was lazy
and didn't do the maintenance until 22,000. If I reset at 22,000, then
the next time the MRL wouldn't come on (steadily) until 32,000. This
way keeps me on track with the manual's maintenance schedule and not
"drift" each time.

Bucky wrote:

> Sparky Spartacus wrote:
>
>>>Just reset it.
>>
>>Thanks, I will when it's come on steadily.
>
>
> Personally, my strategy is to reset it when the maintenance is
> *supposed* to be done, not when I actually do the maintenance.
>
> Let's say I was supposed to do maintenance at 20,000, but I was lazy
> and didn't do the maintenance until 22,000. If I reset at 22,000, then
> the next time the MRL wouldn't come on (steadily) until 32,000. This
> way keeps me on track with the manual's maintenance schedule and not
> "drift" each time.

Understood, but I'm taking the 26,000 mile MRL as the 30,000 mile maint.